Insulating hooked pliers for the handling of fuses



Sept. 6, R NET INSULATING HOOKED PLIERS FOR THE HANDLING OF FUSES Filed March 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pic. 2

Jill! INVENTOR. ROGER JEAN GUERIN ET ATTORNEY.

Sept. 6, 1955 R. J. GUERINET INSULATING HOOKED PLIERS FOR THE HANDLING OF FUSES Filed March 20, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiG.9

FiGT

INVENTOR.

ROGER JEAN GUERlNET ATTO R N E Y.

United States Patent INSULATING HOOKED PLIERS FOR THE HANDLING OF FUSES Roger Jean Guerinet, Malakotf, France, assignor to So ciete Stapfer & Cie, s. a. r. 1., Paris, France, a body corporate of France Application March 20, 1952, Serial No. 27 7,586 Claims priority, application France March 22, 1951 5 Claims. (Cl. 81-38) Some types of fuses consist of a fusible element contained in an insulating cartridge often in the shape of a cylinder, and bearing conducting elements at both ends, which elements, when the fuse is in position, are firmly held in elastic connections, securing thereby both the transmission of the current to the fusible element and the attachment of the fuse.

The present invention has, for its object, an insulating clamp permitting easy insertion of such a type of fuse in its connections or to withdraw the fuse from its connections, even if the fuse panel is not freely accessible.

The annexed drawing shows, diagrammatically and by way of non-limiting examples, two embodiments of the invention.

Figures 1 to 6 are concerned with the first embodiment:

Figure 1 shows a section of the insulating clamp along the symmetry plane II (Fig. 2).

Figure 2 is a plane view showing a fuse gripped by the clamp.

Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 are perspective views of four of the elements constituting the insulating clamp.

Figures 7 to 11 are concerned with the second embodiment:

Figure 7 is a section along the longitudinal median plane of this embodiment.

Figure 8 is a partial sectional view of one of the main elements of this embodiment.

Figures 9, 10 are perspective views of two other main elements.

Figure 11 is a cross-section along line XIXI of Fig. 7.

In these two embodiments, two members are mounted within an insulating handle and are capable of a relative motion with respect to each other: the first member consists in a metal hook, widely opened to grip the centra insulated part of the fuse to be handled; the second member, can, through the relative motion of translation of the two members under the action of a slide fixed on one of said members, he brought in front and against the hooked part of the first member to secure a strong grip on the fuse.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1 to 6, Figure 1 shows the insulating handle, made of two parts 4, 5, fixed to each other by means of a hook 6 and a screw 9.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a first blade-shaped element having, at its outer end, a hook and slidably arranged with respect to a second blade-shaped element 2 fixed to the part 4 of the insulating clamp by the two screws 7, 8. The blade-shaped element 1 is guided, in its relative motion to the blade-shaped element 2, by the book 6 and the screw 7, the shapes of which are shown in Figures 5 and 6. The slide 3, which the user displaces with his thumb, drives the blade-shaped element 1 integral therewith by means of the bent portion B (see Figure 4). The upper face of the blade-shaped element 2 is inclined towards its ends, securing a progressive clamping of a fuse between both blade-shaped elements. The blade-shaped element 1 can be introduced in the book 6, in the position 2,716,919 Patented Sept. 6, 1955 shown in Figure 1, thanks to the restricted part A (Figure 4) which can pass between the two hook-shaped upper portions of the hook 6 (Fig. 5). As shown in Figure 1, the slide 3, movably disposed between the two parts 4 and 5 of the handle, is provided with a thumb piece 3 guided in a slot 5' of part 5 and has a length and a width which are such that it closes the bottom of the slot 5 thereby preventing the hand of the user from contacting the blade-shaped element 1.

In the first embodiment shown in the annexed drawings, the insulated clamp can be used as an insulated screwdriver when the blade-shaped element 1 is in its retracted position shown in Figure 1, thanks to the suitable shape of the outer end of the blade-shaped element 2.

According to the second embodiment, the clamp, illustrated in Figures 7 to 11, comprises essentially a tubular handle 10, a slide member 13 bearing a first blade-shaped element 14 carrying a hook 15 at its outer end, and a support 11 carrying a second blade-shaped element 12.

The tubular handle 10 is opened at the rear and comprises, in its inner wall, two oppositely located lateral recesses 18 and 27' respectively: at the front end, it has an aperture 16 for the passage of the two blade-shaped elements 12, 14. At the lower part, is a recess for maintaining in place the support 11 (Fig. 7). This support consists of a bottom part 17, in the shape of a segment of a cylinder and of a lateral partition 18 at right angle thereto, said partition having two notches 19, 20 therein. The lateral partition 18 is inserted in the lateral recess 18. The second blade-shaped element 12, preferably in the shape of a screwdriver as shown in Figure 9, is fixed at the fore end of the support by means of two screws 21, 22.

The slide 13 (Figure 10), bearing the hooked bladeshaped element 14, is provided, at its upper part, with a thumb piece 23, projecting through the upper slot 24 outside the handle 10 and, at its rear part, with a gudgeon 25, 26. Said gudgeon is apertured to receive a spring urged pin 27 arranged as shown in Figure 11, part 25 of the gudgeon being engaged within the lateral recess 18'. Under the slide 13 is fixed a compression spring 28.

The tubular handle 10 has, at its fore end, a boss 29 to secure a better protection for the hand; at the rear end, it is closed by a cap 30, held in position by a pin 31.

This second form of embodiment has been designed to allow, on the one hand, a wider clearance between the blade-shaped elements, according to the diameter of the fuses to be handled and on the other hand, an easy manufacture of the moulded insulating parts.

Owing to the gudgeon 25, 26 and to the spring 28, the hooked first blade-shaped element 14 can move away from the second blade-shaped element 12, which is fixed. When the gudgeon 25 is in one of the notches 19 or 20 of the side wall 18 of the support 11, the slide 13 is locked in its position. To unlock the slide, the thumb piece 23 is displaced laterally in a direction away from the side wall 18 to disengage the gudgeon 25 from the notch in which it was locked and the slide 23 may now be pushed towards the front aperture 16.

The operation of the device shown in Figures 7l1 is the following:

Assuming that a fuse 31 is to be removed from a fuse panel not shown, the clamp, having its elements in the position shown in Figure 7, is held by the user in such a position as to have the hooked end 15 engaged over the fuse 31, the axis of which is shown at 32. If the bladeshaped element 12 is not long enough to have its outer end beneath the fuse 31, the holder 10 is pushed towards the left, the hooked end 15 remaining engaged over the fuse 31. If, on the contrary, the first blade-shaped element 12 is of a sufiicient length to have its outer end substantially under the hook 15 when the slide is in its outmost left position, the displacement to the left of the handle is not necessary.

Having thus the hook 1S engaged over the fuse 31, the slide 13 is pushed to the right, being guided in the slot 24. During such translating motion, the blade-shaped element 14 is displaced to the right and the fuse 31, engaged by the hook 1S, approaches the blade-shaped element 12, and, on account of the slope of the said blade-shaped element 14, the distance of the axis 32 to the said element 12 decreases.

If the diameter of the fuse cartridge is great enough to have the latter bearing on element 12 before the slide 13 reaches the end of its stroke towards the right, no downward pressing of the slide 13 is necessary to secure the fuse between the first and second blade-shaped elements.

On the contrary, if the said diameter is small, it is obvious that depression of the slide is necessary to secure the fuse between the hook 15 and said blade-shaped element 12, as soon as the slide has been moved sufficiently to the right to have the axis 32 of the fuse lying above the outer end of the blade-shaped element 12.

To remove from the fuse panel, the fuse thus maintained between the hook 15 and the element 12, the whole handle is pulled towards the right to have the fuse disengaged from its contacts.

If it is desired to place a fuse on the fuse panel, the fuse is introduced in the hook and the'slicle is pushed towards the right to have the said fuse bearing against the blade-shaped element 12. If the fuse is of a small diameter, depression of the slide is required for the reason given above. In order to facilitate the manipulation the slide 13 is pushed to the right, until gudgeon 25 enters one or the other of the slots 19, and is maintained therein (see Figure 11) by the action of the spring acting on the pin 27, and handle 10 is held in such a position as to have the fuse in front of its elastic contacts on the panel, in which the fuse is pressed by pushing the whole clamp. As soon as the fuse has been introduced by both its ends in said contacts, the slide is pulled sidewards, for example to the left (see Figure 11), whereby gudgeon is disengaged from the slot 19 or 20; the whole slide 13 may now be displaced towards the front aperture 16 in order to disengage the hook from the fuse fixed on the panel, whereupon the clamp of the invention is freed and may be used again for an other operation.

What I claim is:

l. A tool for handling cartridge fuses comprising in combination a hollow handle provided with an aperture at one of its ends, a first blade-shaped element fixed in fiat position in said hollow handle and freely projecting at its outer end through said aperture, a second blade-shaped element disposed in flat position above the first one and having one of its ends projecting through said aperture, a substantial semi-cylindrical hook-shaped extension on said projecting end of the second blade-shaped element, having its axis parallel to and transversally disposed with respect to said first blade-shaped element, a slide fixed to the other end of said second blade-shaped element and disposed within the hollow handle, a guide-slot in the handle and a thumb-piece on said slide projecting through the guide-slot, whereby the said slide may be pushed for wards to have the hook located beyond the outer end of the first blade-shaped element and rearwards to bring the hook above the said first blade-shaped element.

2. A tool for handling cartridge fuses, comprising in combination a hollow handle, an aperture in the front face of the handle, a longitudinal guiding channel in the handle, a guide slot in the hollow handle, a first bladeshaped element fixed in flat position at its inner end to the bottom part of the guiding channel and projecting at its outer end through said aperture, a slide engaged in the channel having a thumb-piece projecting through the guide slot, a second blade-shaped element fixed in flat position at its inner end to the slide and disposed above the first blade-shaped element, said second blade-shaped element having its outer end projecting through said aperture in a direction away from the first blade-shaped element, a substantial semi-cylindrical hook carried at the outer end of said second blade-shaped element, having its axis parallel to and transversely disposed with respect to the first blade-shaped element, the guide-slot having a front bottom adjacent the front face of the handle to permit the slide to be moved forwards to an extent bringing the hook beyond and above the outer end of the first blade-shaped element, whereby the hook may be engaged over a cartridge fuse and gripped between the hook and the first blade-shaped element by pushing rearwardly the slide.

3. A tool for handling cartridge fuses, comprising in combination a hollow handle, an aperture in the front face of the handle, a longitudinal guiding channel in the handle, a guideslot in the hollow handle, a first bladeshaped element fixed in flat position at its inner end to the bottom part of the guiding channel and projecting at its outer end through said aperture, a slide engaged in the channel having a thumb-piece projectingthrough the guide slot and capable of being shifted sidewise therein, a second blade-shaped element fixed in flat position at its inner end to the slide and disposed above the first bladeshaped element, said second blade-shaped element having its outer end projecting through said aperture in a direction away from the first blade-shaped element, a substantial semi-cylindrical hook carried at the outer end of said second blade-shaped element having its axis parallel to and transversally disposed with respect to the first blade-shaped element, the guide-slot having a front bottom adjacent the front face of the handle to permit the slide to be moved forwards to an extent bringing the hook beyond and above the outer end of the first bladeshaped element and a rear bottom remote from the front face of the handle, whereby the hook may be engaged over a cartridge fuse and gripped between the hook and the first blade-shaped element by pushing the slide rearwardly, said tool further including means for locking the slide in a position intermediate the front and rear bottoms of the guide-slot and comprising a gudgeon at the inner end of the slide, a notch in the sidewall of the guiding channel and a spring urging the slide towards said sidewall, whereby the said gudgeon enters said notch during the rearwardly movement of the slide.

4. A tool for handling cartridge fuses comprising in combination, a substantial cylindrical handle made of an insulating material, a longitudinal guiding channel of substantial rectangular cross-section in said handle including an aperture in the front face thereof and a longitudinal guide-slot in the upper part of said handle, the width of said guide slot being smaller than that of the said channel and its length smaller than that of the latter, a longitudinal recess in the bottom part of the channel, a lateral recess in each of the sidewalls of the channel, an insert disposed within the longitudinal recess and carrying a vertical lateral partition adjacent its inner end, at least one notch in said partition, a first blade-shaped element fixed at its inner end to the insert and having its outer end projecting through the aperture, a slide member engaged in the guiding channel and having a width greater than that of the guide-slot, a thumbpiece carried by said slide member and projecting freely through the guide slot, a second blade-shaped element fixed in fiat position on the outer end of the slide member and projecting through the aperture in superposed spaced relation to the first blade-shaped element, a semi-cylindrical shaped hook extension at the free end of said second blade-shaped element, a transversal gudgeon on the lower and rear portion of the slide member, said gudgeon having a section corresponding to the shape of the notch in the partition to cooperate therewith, an axial bore in the gudgeon closed at the end thereof facing said partition, :1 spring disposed in said bore, a pin introduced therein and yieldingly pressed by said spring against the adjacent sidewall 5 of the channel whereby the slide member carrying the second blade-shaped element may be displaced sidewise by shifting the thumb-piece in the guide slot, and a cap removably mounted at the rear end of the handle.

5. A tool according to claim 4 wherein the underface of the slide member is inclined over the first blade-shaped element and carries a leaf spring for pressing the slide member against the upper part of the handle and wherein the inner end of said second blade-shaped element is fixed References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Krafit Feb. 26, 1907 Tipsord et a1 June 5, 1928 Dahlquist Feb. 20, 1940 

